Iwake before my alarm. It’s not dawn yet, and I’m groggy and have a mild headache, but I’m also smiling like the devil because she’s still here. I doubt it’s intentional. I’m positive she’ll be angry about it when she wakes up, but for now…
I slip out of bed and gather her clothes, which I hung up to dry overnight. They’re still damp, and I walk them down the hall to the linen room where the royal family’s clothes and things are attended to. There are two washers and dryers in here, and I toss her things into one of the dryers and turn it on before I return to my room to get myself ready.
She’s out, her breathing heavy, her body not even stirring as I skulk about my room. I grab a piece of paper from the desk and a pencil and do a quick sketch of her like this. It’s not great. It’s dark in here, and this pencil isn’t what I’d typically use, but it’s good enough.
The lines of her face develop beneath my hand. She’s so pretty. So peaceful looking. It’s the first time I’ve seen her like this, and it might be my favorite look on her yet. A thought occurred to me before I fell asleep last night. I finishup my very rough sketch, set it in my desk drawer, and pick up my phone to place a quick order for what I need. I finish packing, go retrieve her dry clothes, and return to my room. Just as I zip up my suitcase, her eyes flutter open.
“Morning,” I drawl, and she jerks up, taking the sheet with her to cover herself. It makes me smile at how adorable she is. First, she’s wearing my shirt, but considering I’ve seen and tasted every inch of her, modesty isn’t exactly necessary.
“Shit. I can’t believe I slept in here,” she mutters in Italian as she inches to the end of the bed and gets out, frantically searching around. I step toward her and hold out her clothes.
“They were still damp this morning, but they should be pretty dry now.”
She tilts her head and narrows her eyes. “How did you do that?”
“I’m a prince. I demanded your clothes dry, and they did. It’s how I get everything done.”
She arches an eyebrow.
“I used the dryer,” I deadpan.
She snorts before she can stop it.
“What?” I bark, affronted. “I know how to use a dyer.”
“Oh? How many times before this have you?”
Busted. I shrug. “It wasn’t exactly difficult. You press power and start.”
“The prince of Messalina used a dryer for the first time. Wonders never cease.”
“You’re very sarcastic for a woman wearing nothing but my shirt.” It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Sexy rumpled hair, flushed cheeks, bright green eyes, hard nipples, creamy thighs, and my clothes on her naked body.
“Thanks for the reminder. I have to get out of here.”
“You can use my bathroom. I have to leave anyway.” I didn’t get a chance to talk to her about this last night. Before I can, she scoots past me for the bathroom, and I grab herforearm to stop her. “Don’t you want to know where I’m going?”
She shakes her head as she shakes my grip loose. “Nope.” She makes for the bathroom with hurried strides.
“Don’t you care how long I’ll be gone for?”
“No again!” she calls to me from the other side of the now closed door.
“Fine! I wasn’t going to tell you anyway.” That part is true. I wasn’t going to tell her where I was going or why I was leaving, and I have no clue how long I’ll be gone for.
She laughs, likely because she knows I wanted her to care or at the very least ask while feigning she didn’t care.
“You could at least try to pretend you’re not so in love with me,” I tease, except the words get drowned out by the sound of the toilet flushing and the faucet turning on.
A moment later, she comes flying out of the bathroom, holding her wet shoes because I had no idea what to do with those. I suppose I could have done an internet search to see if shoes can go in the dryer, but it didn’t occur to me until now.
She blows past me like she’s not even going to say bye or give me a kiss or anything, and fuck that. Fuck this. I grab her once again and haul her into me.
I kiss her deep and hard and a little miffed. “I’ll miss you too.”
“I never said I’d miss you.”
I cup her pussy. “I was talking to her. She’ll miss me even if you won’t.”